Sometimes I can't believe my luck. And I'm not talking about the good kind.

Before we begin

The number 4 is a sign of bad luck in Korea. Red ink too – but only when you write someone’s name with it.

Aigooh [I-goh]: Usually said by Koreans when sighing and almost always dragged out for dramatic effect. Much like, “oh god” or “good grief”.

***

So for some reason, people are always telling me how lucky I am. Always.
“You were born under a lucky star,” they say.
And it’s not because I’m going on exciting adventures around Asia. No. I even had people telling me this when I lived a perfectly ordinary life back in South Africa.

One particular episode of someone commenting on my “luck” is still vividly etched in my mind: It was my neighbour in my residence at university. I was leaving my room for the common room and coincidentally my neighbour was exiting her room at the same time. Although we were neighbours for a long time, we were never close; our relationship started and ended at being neighbours. When she caught sight of me leaving my room, as a way of greeting she merely said, “Do you know that you have a strong aura of luck hovering over you? Luck is always going to be on your side.” And without another word she continued to wherever she was going.

At that moment I shrugged her off as a psychopath, but I still couldn’t help wondering…all these people can’t be wrong, right?
WRONG.

**Small disclaimer: I usually don’t find it necessary to explain myself, but I’m going to make an exception here in case some people have missed the point of this blog entirely. This blog is not intended to rip Korea to shreds. I love this country with all my heart and moving here was the smartest decision I’ve made yet. All I’m doing here is documenting some of my most bizarre experiences. We all have bizarre experiences no matter where we are in the world – it just so happens I’m in Korea and I’ve chosen to write about them. Read it, don’t read it.